2017 Bentley Bentayga

Even though it has a history spanning almost a century, and some of its earlier models were nicknamed by Ettore Bugatti as “the world s fastest lorries,” Bentley has never manufactured an SUV. Its Continental GT lineup is almost exclusively all-wheel-drive, but far from meeting the criteria for being called an SUV. Those three letters have actually given nightmares to traditional Bentley enthusiasts since 2015, when Bentley officially announced that it will launch a full-size SUV called the Bentayga by the end of the year. With the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show just around the corner, the Bentayga is finally here to brag about being the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive SUV in the world.

With the luxury carmaker being all about sales nowadays, and the Bentayga already amassing 4,000 pre-orders, the SUV is bound to be a sales success despite what the old-school Bentley fans want or believe. Based on the same platform as the new 2016 Audi Q7, the model is also set to become the first Bentley powered by a diesel engine and a hybrid drivetrain, but more on that as you read the following review.

Updated 11/30/2015: The first Bentayga SUV left the assembly line at Bentley’s iconic headquarters in Crewe, UK. The model is painted Anthracite and was handcrafted across 130 hours during which period it passed through a new bodystore, a new paint shop and a new assembly line.